It's a nationally recognized activity designed to help children better understand the opportunities they have after they finish school. Schools don't even count the students absent if they participate.

But to hear St. Lucie officials tell it, the idea is academically bankrupt.

St. Lucie superintendent Michael Lannon told district employees they could not bring their children to work on Thursday, saying the exercise is not "educationally valid," the Fort Pierce Tribune reports.

"One of the things we're trying to do is have kids stay in school, in their classrooms," Lannon told the paper. "For that reason, I don't think it should be taking place on a school day anywhere across America."

The program's leaders disagree.

"The educators felt very strongly about having it during the school year so that youth, then they went to the various workplaces, could come back and discuss what they had seen take place with others in their class," foundation spokesman George McKecven told the Tribune.

We didn't have any kids roaming around our office. One girl we spoke briefly with who was at her mom's place of work reported being "bored out of my mind." Thoughts?

About the blog

Gradebook features education articles and insights on schools in Florida, focusing on Tampa Bay area schools. What's the latest from the Florida Department of Education? How is the FCAT being used to compare Florida schools? What's going on in Tampa Bay schools? Get an insider's view from the Times education reporting team.